Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Minnesota killing all three aboard
December 6, 2019, 10:48 am

Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Minnesota killing all three aboard

File photo of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. (File photo AP)

All three Minnesota National Guard soldiers were killed when the Black Hawk helicopter they were riding in crashed on Thursday in central Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz confirmed. The identities of the soldiers were not released, pending notification of family.

The crash was being investigated and preliminary information on the crash was not released.

Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, said: “Our Minnesota National Guard family is devastated by the deaths of these soldiers. Our priority right now is ensuring that our families are taken care of.”

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three crew members had crashed near Pearl Lake after it lost contact with the base on Thursday afternoon at around 2 p.m. Minnesota National Guard Master Sgt. Blair Heusdens told the St. Cloud Times.

Guard Master Sgt. Blair Heusdens said the Guard lost contact with the helicopter shortly after it took off on a maintenance test flight from St. Cloud. Heusdens said the helicopter called mayday about 9 minutes after takeoff.

The Guard’s base near St. Cloud Regional Airport had been in operation since 2009, with Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters maintained there.

source: The Associated Press

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”